The recession has battered taxpayers. The tea party's talk of small government dominates the airwaves.

So, it would make sense for voters to slam the book on a proposal that could lead to permanently higher taxes for Multnomah County libraries.

Instead, voters delivered a stunning 72 percent support for one of the country's most popular library systems. (See the entire county election results.)

Liz Kaufman, the campaign's political consultant, said the measure passed "because in a down economy, people use the libraries more than ever. It's on their minds."

For now, Measure 26-114 amounts to just a wording change in the county's charter. But more importantly, it makes it easier for the county's board to return to voters and ask them to create a special government agency to run the library system.

That new agency would lead to a higher permanent tax bill for all Multnomah County property owners. But county leaders this week cautioned that there's still a lot to decide before they return to the ballot. The passage of Measure 26-114 just means the discussion can begin, said David Austin, spokesman for county Chairman Jeff Cogen.

Vailey Oehlke, the county's library director, said: "There's still major, major hurdles, and frankly the decision hasn't been made."

Here's what prompted the measure: The county's library system is widely popular, serving 35,000 daily in person or online, yet it survives on the kindness of voters who approve tax levies every five years. The county, in a perpetual budget crunch, has dialed back its funding, leaving the system to rely more heavily on other sources. The temporary levies now cover about two-thirds of the library's operating costs. Supporters say the libraries should have more stable funding, which a library district could provide.

The library's current tax levy expires in 2012. Oehlke said the library system will either ask voters to renew the levy or create the district.

Oregon cities and counties have increasingly explored special districts to remove specific services off their books and create a separate property tax rate to fund them. Beaverton's Tualatin Hills Park & Recreation District is one of the state's best known districts.

Special districts have grown more popular as local governments get squeezed between rising health care and salary costs and property tax limitations imposed by Measure 5 and Measure 50 in the 1990s.

Without Measure 26-114, the county would have needed approval from cities in Multnomah County to create a library district, but it's unlikely the cities would have granted that approval because it would bite into the their revenues. Portland Mayor Sam Adams has already opposed creating a district.

Here's some other Multnomah County election highlights:

Portland fire bond: Voters are narrowly approving the bond to raise $72.4 million for new fire rigs, digital radios, a fire station and an emergency response center.

The measure would raise property taxes in Portland by up to 14 cents per $1,000 of assessed value, or an estimated $27.30 a year on a $200,000 home.

Commissioner Randy Leonard, a former firefighter who runs the bureau, said the measure benefited from not having an organized opposition. It also had a campaign well-funded by Motorola, the primary maker of public safety radios, and the firefighters union.

And here's a little secret of city politics: Voters love firefighters. Nearly nine of every 10 Portland residents rated their fire services good or very good. Six of 10 gave the same rating to the Police Bureau, according to a survey released this week.

"Notwithstanding the challenging economic times, there is a visceral connection," Leonard said. Oregon Historical Society: A five-year levy to raise $12 million passed easily with nearly 54 percent of the vote. The measure won the most support of any Portland or countywide money measure.

George Vogt, executive director at the Oregon Historical Society, said the measure passed because Oregonians value their pioneer history but also because a well-funded and well-run campaign helped.

The campaign leaders raised enough money for mailers, TV ads and a seasoned political consultant, Kaufman, the same one the library campaign used.

The measure, which appeared on ballots countywide, includes some money annually for historical societies in east Multnomah County. The levy will cost 5 cents per $1,000 assessed value, or about $10 on a $200,000 house.

Without the levy, Vogt said he would have been forced to consider closing the historical society's library or museum. With the levy, he said, the society expects to add a few staff members and expand the library hours from 12 hours a week to 32 hours. (Read The Oregonian's pre-election coverage of the measure.) Fallout for 2012: Multnomah County Chairman Jeff Cogen's potential run for mayor in 2012 is more complicated after voters passed one measure Tuesday.

Multnomah County measure 26-110 would have allowed board members to run for another office while still holding on to their current seat. Voters rejected the measure at 63 percent. If he ran, Cogen would have to launch a long, bruising campaign without the comfort of a government paycheck and health care.